Hi everyone,
A month ago I adopted my friends female eclectus. My friend is a vet and is very busy and just didn't have the time for her. Since I had regularly babysat 'Issy' and had fallen in love with her, I agreed to adopt her.
She is approx 6yo and my friend had her for 4 years. She began plucking when she moved (2yrs ago) at this time she had her first job in a vet clinic so was very busy. Poor Issy got less attention and had no set routine and she starting feather plucking. My friend attempted to stimulate her more with extra toys including foraging toys. At that time she was on a diet of fruit, veg and a parrot pellet mix. She was mostly in a large cage but had plenty of time on people's shoulders and in the odd tree. My friend consulted an expert avian vet who recommended to massively reduce carbs in her diet as he thought this was adding to her need to breed but can't. She has been tested for all diseases and is fine.
Since I have had her I have added more fresh food to her diet (and hardly any pellets, probably only a tablespoon a day) and she is getting a lot more interaction and is out of her cage a lot of the time, she is also in routine. We have breakfast together, go for a walk with my dogs, then she has a few hours on our deck rail where she flaps her wings, wags her tail and makes lots of sound. Then she has a few hours in her big cage where she can forage for food. Then she has an hour or so out at lunchtime then back in the cage for a few hours. In the afternoon she is with me while I garden where she gets her slection of native plants or we cook or play guitar or study, then in bed before dark...she sleeps in a small cage in my laundry which is very warm and quiet. She seems to be growing fluff back under her wings, around her chest and neck. How long should the feathers take? Occasionally she will pull a big feather out.
She seems very happy, she is affectionate, vocal, eating well, loves to do her tricks etc. the specialist vet reckons she will never grow her feathers back and once a plucker always a plucker.
We're in the process of building her an aviary as we live on a few acres. Apart from that I'm not sure what to do or if time will tell? Should I put a breeding box in the aviary so she can nest?
I have attached a few Photos so you can see what i mean. She is very take, quiet and friendly. Her wings were last clipped a few months ago and I don't plan on having them done again as I want her to be able to fly in her aviary and even though she can fly a short distance now, she will only do it when spooked or looking for me.
A month ago I adopted my friends female eclectus. My friend is a vet and is very busy and just didn't have the time for her. Since I had regularly babysat 'Issy' and had fallen in love with her, I agreed to adopt her.
She is approx 6yo and my friend had her for 4 years. She began plucking when she moved (2yrs ago) at this time she had her first job in a vet clinic so was very busy. Poor Issy got less attention and had no set routine and she starting feather plucking. My friend attempted to stimulate her more with extra toys including foraging toys. At that time she was on a diet of fruit, veg and a parrot pellet mix. She was mostly in a large cage but had plenty of time on people's shoulders and in the odd tree. My friend consulted an expert avian vet who recommended to massively reduce carbs in her diet as he thought this was adding to her need to breed but can't. She has been tested for all diseases and is fine.
Since I have had her I have added more fresh food to her diet (and hardly any pellets, probably only a tablespoon a day) and she is getting a lot more interaction and is out of her cage a lot of the time, she is also in routine. We have breakfast together, go for a walk with my dogs, then she has a few hours on our deck rail where she flaps her wings, wags her tail and makes lots of sound. Then she has a few hours in her big cage where she can forage for food. Then she has an hour or so out at lunchtime then back in the cage for a few hours. In the afternoon she is with me while I garden where she gets her slection of native plants or we cook or play guitar or study, then in bed before dark...she sleeps in a small cage in my laundry which is very warm and quiet. She seems to be growing fluff back under her wings, around her chest and neck. How long should the feathers take? Occasionally she will pull a big feather out.
She seems very happy, she is affectionate, vocal, eating well, loves to do her tricks etc. the specialist vet reckons she will never grow her feathers back and once a plucker always a plucker.
We're in the process of building her an aviary as we live on a few acres. Apart from that I'm not sure what to do or if time will tell? Should I put a breeding box in the aviary so she can nest?
I have attached a few Photos so you can see what i mean. She is very take, quiet and friendly. Her wings were last clipped a few months ago and I don't plan on having them done again as I want her to be able to fly in her aviary and even though she can fly a short distance now, she will only do it when spooked or looking for me.
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letting her be flighted could very well curb the plucking on its own.
